Hold open rods are well known in the aviation industry. Hold open rods hold open a door after being opened manually or automatically. They can support a considerable amount of weight. It is desired that the rods function correctly and do not malfunction in supporting the weight they are designed to support.
Generally the rods include two cylindrical telescoping tubes, a first tube disposed inside a second tube. In the resting position, the inner tube is generally located almost entirely within the outer tube. The inner tube can be extended to a designated position to hold open the door. At this extended position, the tubes are locked in place, holding open the door for a period of time. For such applications as the aviation industry where weight and rising fuel costs are a concern, it is desired to provide a hold open rod that is light weight yet still capable of supporting large loads.
It has been known to provide a lightweight member formed of a light weight metal and a light weight composite material. However, in these instances, an epoxy is required to couple the metal and the composite material. If conventional wisdom is applied to a hold open rod, it would result in a situation where the rod's strength and structural integrity are dependent on the epoxy. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a hold open rod that avoids the use of epoxy for load bearing applications, is light weight, and provides the strength and structural integrity required.